Sunflower Chronicles
by demonwolfkid
Summary: The story of the Hyuga as time goes on.
1. Brothers

Hizashi never hated his brother.

He detested him, he loathed the system that had marked his forehead, forever separating them, but he did not hate his brother for the burden that he had to carry.

He hated the fact that he wasn't allowed to carry the burden for him.

He saw the way the elders crushed out any semblance of personality, any fraction of rebellion, of will to fight for what he believed in was cast into the darkness under direct tutorship of their father. Their whispered words of how they were going to change the clan turned into his brother turning away from him.

His actions, once a symbol of his devotion to his brother, now seen as just the actions of a loyal branch member.

Years passed after he received his headband and his rank of genin, and the brothers hadn't spoken after his aniki hadn't said anything when he sat at dinner that night. Their words had faded into the words of a main and a branch member.

He believed in fate, like his son would after his death. He became angry with not only the clan, but with his brother as well. The brother that had turned his back to him and their dreams, which had become a mere puppet for the elders to do with what they will.

Angry enough to send out a wave of killing intent, which changed his sons mind in the worst ways.

But he when he found out Hiashi was going to die, things changed.

He had narrowed his eyes when he first heard of it, an hour before he was called in to a private meeting with his father. His friend had told him to screw the family, but he couldn't.

For all their problems, for all the years of separation, he would not let his brother be killed.

The moments before his death he realized how he had never fought for anything. How he, like his brother, had fallen into the trap that was their family.

He had blamed his brother, but he was just as much at fault.

So he made his choice, and died by it.

In the end he still hated the Main House, but that was his choice, and he still loved his brother


	2. Sisters

Hanabi never once believed that Hinata was stronger than her.

She also never believed that she was going to be Clan Head.

She is taught to believe it though. Her daily regiment is blocked out, hour by hour, day by day. She is taught techniques that, until Neji, were meant for only the main house.

She did so without complaint. It was what she had been raised to do, raised to believe, but she never really believed it.

Still, she would walk this path until someone said otherwise, for it was what they wanted of her, and it was the one thing she could do for her sister when her sister did everything possible for her.

She saw the way she tried, how Hinata tried to take the burden away from her imouto, how she struggled to fit the mold the clan had laid out for her.

In time, Hanabi knew, Hinata would take the clan and lead it as she saw fit, not because she had the history of the clan memorized or because her kata's exuded the exact precision expected of the clan heir, but rather because unlike Hanabi, she knew it's members, and she loved them.

Hanabi could only love her sister, but that was enough.

So she continued upon the path they had set for her, waiting for Hinata to find her own.


	3. Understandings

Konohamaru hates the meetings of the clans.

It was all a balancing act, seeing whose clan was better placed in the hierarchy of power that was a ninja village.

He hated the subtle undertones and the unsaid threats.

When he was younger he tended to stand by his grandfather, though as he grew older he learned to stand by himself. He couldn't rely on his grandfather forever, whether it be the man or the name, he was his own person. The next head of the Saratobi Clan. A proud member of this oh so exclusive club.

He liked to watch the other clan's children and their parents, especially once he'd realized how flaky most of other the adult clan heads were.

That's where he learned about the Nara clan's medical prowess and hidden genuis, and the Inuzaka's feral outlook that contrasted the views of the Hyuga clan so dramatically that it was almost comical. It's where he learned to never, ever, squash a bug or butterfly for that matter, to never comment on a person's portion size, or to insult a women's outfit.

He'd even spoken to Itachi at one point. He only remembers that because of what the boy had said to him. He was the first one to tell him to distinguish himself away from his grandfather, although the lesson didn't really stick until Naruto. He'd said that the clans were going to fall apart one day because of all the pressure they put on power.

Later, Konohamaru couldn't help but to agree.

The Hyuga's never interested him. For the longest time they were on the list of clans that he should avoid, their leader looked down at him every chance he got, leading Konohamaru to conclude that he hated children. He later learned that it wasn't necessarily children, it was other people's children.

The first time Hanabi came to a meeting of the clans was after he'd received his headband. He remembered because most of the suck up clan heads were making it a point to praise him, to bow to him and say how powerful of a ninja he was going to become. Most of the other clan heirs didn't show up much, they were mostly ninja in their own rights, with their own responsibilities, and the ones that weren't were part of the merchant clans who bored him, and were quite full of themselves.

She'd come up to him and bowed, congratulating him with a flat, monotone voice. He'd said thank you, and she'd walked back to her father, who was discussing something with one of the merchant clan heads, whose son was about their age, but a loud mouth and an arrogant prick.

He gave her props, she was able to stand him for a good five minutes before he came by, deflecting the kids attempts to talking about all his cool stuff with talk of training and chakra exercises.

It wasn't quite a habit, and he didn't necessarily like her any more than he liked any of the other clan heirs, but whenever he did show his face at meetings, he preferred to keep in her company.

He knew it was her deciding to hang out with him, and not the other way around.


	4. Alike

She often wondered if people realized how much like their father Hinata truly was. If they realized how terrified Hiashi was of letting down the clan, of how he had just barely made the cut, of how much they both regretted.

She doubted it. That kind of insight would mean that the elders would have to open their eyes, and that the branch members would have to actually look without malice.

The thing about her family, she decided, was that they lacked drive.

Her father, for all his stern aloofness, was a soft man, but unlike Hinata he'd been stronger, more capable in his youth. It was only after Hizashi had been branded that they discovered his weakness, his unwillingness, and contempt for the separation that followed him and his brother.

Hizashi had the drive, but Hiashi had the birthright.

She saw it in the way he stood, in the way his eyes occasionally softened in that tight, controlled way he couldn't help.

And unlike everyone else, who saw him as the undisputed leader, she saw how much power he lacked. The helplessness he took without a blink of the eye.

It wasn't that he had been stronger than Hizashi, it's that he'd never gotten the chance to be.


	5. Idiocy

Hanabi and Neji had gotten close just before the fourth ninja war.

Hiashi had convinced, or rather bribed, her cousin into taking over her training earlier that year, but he hadn't had time to train her much. He was a new jonin, and he was needed to assist with missions and the like.

Then he'd taken a small leave of absence, a month long leave where they spent every afternoon together in the dojo, training until he deemed her fit.

They started in silence, he ordered her to fix her stance or her chakra, and she followed his orders, unperturbed by his attitude or the fact that he couldn't soften his voice. It was a problem most Hyuga males seemed to possess, and she spent much of her time amongst the elders and other clan heads, so it didn't faze her much

It wasn't until his teammate Tenten had sat in on one of their lessons, she'd been the marksman while Hanabi had practiced the Revolving Heaven Jutsu. They had relocated their training session to one of the training fields, and after their practice she was going to return to the main house to further study her scrolls when Tenten had swung her arm around the younger girls shoulder and started leading her off, saying that Neji owed her for helping out and that he might as well treat her as well because he was so stingy that he probably had never done so in the past.

She was right, but it wasn't because he was stingy. Neither cousin felt the need to spend extra time in each other's presence. After his little revelation back during his first chunin exam he had resolved to become closer to Hinita and Hiashi, and in turn, her and the rest of the main house, but she was busy with her own duties and he his. Neither had ever hated each other, and neither felt that their relationship needed mending, so no mending occurred.

It was simply that neither cousin was particularly interested in each other.

Neji had offered no protests though, so Hanabi was led to a restraint and issued a chair, sharing in a meal with her cousin and his teammate.

"So, you're Hinata's sister?" Tenten had questioned, somewhere towards the middle of their meal. Neji had spoken when he'd felt the need, but Tenten held the majority of the conversation, apparently quiet used to it. "How come I haven't see you around? I help out at the academy sometimes, but I don't think I've even seen you there."

That started it. She had never had to explain her situation to someone outside of the family. She considered what to say, but Neji answered for her.

"Hiashi-sama trains Hanabi and the elders teacher her what's necessary," his tone left no room for discussion, a obvious enough statement to the usually quiet Hyuga, but Tenten was used to it, and ignored him completely.

"And? If you don't graduate from the Academy you can't become a shinobi! There's no way around it, trust me, Shikamaru tried."

He blinked, as if the thought had never occurred to him, and slid his gaze over to Hanabi.

"It's the Elder's decision," she replied to the unasked question. "The Elders would rather I be knowledgeable of the policies of the clan than risk my life as an active member of the village."

She said it blandly, but her words contained a level of mirth that she typically kept hidden.

"But if you're not going to become a shinobi then why learn the family techniques?" Tenten urged, her curiosity peeked. Neji sent her a warning look, but she ignored him.

Hanabi had wondered the same thing, but, hadn't chosen to question it when the opportunity arose. She considered it momentarily to give her most accurate response. "I suppose, to keep it in the family," she responded. "Father has chosen to disregard the elders in teaching Neji the Main House's techniques, but I doubt they will allow him to teach any children he may have," she paused. "Doing so would be to admit that he is the same as the main house, an irreversible act."

"But you're her younger sister," Tenten insisted. "Isn't Hinata the heir? Why is she a shinobi when you can't be?"

That was dangerously close to clan politics, Neji felt, and had opened his mouth to say as much when Hanabi responded.

"The Elders are unsure whether or not Hinata should remain clan heir," she answered honestly. "They felt that becoming a shinobi would boost her confidence, so they allowed her to become one. It is not uncommon for a perspective heir to not go into the shinobi forces, Father only ever became a genin, and grandfather didn't do that much."

"Then why do you have to learn the techniques?" Tenten asked. "It's like giving the sharpest weapon to a civilian and the dullest to a shinobi. Send them against an enemy and they have an equal risk of dying. Idiocy!"

Neji was about to retort, to reprimand her for her short sightedness and remind her to watch her tongue, when Hanabi nodded.

"I agree."


	6. Respect

Hanabi hadn't entered into the Academy until after the Fourth Great Ninja War.

It had been a request from Neji, as both his cousin and her taijustu tutor, the last thing he and Hiashi had spoken about before he had died, the last thing they had argued about.

She had never been given the cursed seal, half because she was female, and half because Hinata was a sickly child, and the Elders had been hesitant to allow the second child to be branded when the first may not survive.

When it became clear that Hinata was weak, not only in strength but in mind, the elders sent her to the academy, in hopes that exposure would toughen up the child.

When she was six, and old enough to enter into the Academy, the Elders had lost most of what little faith they had had in Hinata. Hanabi had displayed a strength that Hinata had never acquired.

They decided then that Hinata would be allowed to continue her path outside of the clan, claiming that she was unfit for the duty that she had been born into and that the biggest downfall to her status as an active ninja was the fact that she would be an easy target should anyone want the byakugan. Other than that slight miscalculation, they rarely ever mentioned her sister, except to deem her a failure.

The elders focused all of their attention on Hanabi that year, stating that she had no need for the Academy and that everything she needed to learn could be learned at home.

At that time she had already grown used to the clan and its ways, and when her father bowed in front of her and told her that she would not be able to enter into the academy she didn't respond for the longest time.

"That's fine. I understand. I'll learn more here anyways."

The topic wasn't brought up again until the day Tenten had mentioned it. Everyone who didn't know the true reasons, the tightening of control and the depths of the politics, had simply seen it as evidence that Hanabi was to truly be the next heir.

Neji had asked her about it, and had spoken to her father about it.

It was a quiet thing at first, but the week before Naruto had come home to the village it had escalated into a full out yelling match. A truly rare sight indeed in the Hyuga household, and Neji had left in a huff for his mission, a week long one this time.

She stood in the shadow of his doorway as he got ready.

"You didn't have to do that. They won't change their minds, and Father won't make them."

"He will," he'd said, "and they will. You will become a great ninja, Hanabi."

The two hadn't had a chance to talk, to really talk, before Neji died.

As much as Neji never admitted it, he was an optimist ontop of his realist outlook.

She never knew what he said to make Hiashi stand up to the elders, an event so rare that it was unprecedented.

She chose to wear the coat he'd given her to her team assignment.

* * *

><p>This chapter contains much of what I consider to be speculation on the inner workings of the Hyuga clan.<p>

In regards to the curse seal, I looked over the mentioning of the seal and it appears that, at the very least the wiki page, suggests that the seal is placed upon a branch member when the next heir turns three. I find this idea to be more than a bit, how do I put it, counter intuitive.

There would likely be a twenty year gap in all cases of this happening, a large enough gap to allow multitudes of Hyuga branch members to become ninja and die with the byakugan free for the taking.

In my head, children are given the seal at a young age, at the latest being their 6th birthday. Most of the time, however, it would be earlier, before they have a chance to develop working chakra pathways and truly work with chakra to begin with. This would be why Neji would receive his seal at the age of four, an understandable age, as he is later seen to be at least watching the training of Hinata, leading one to suspect that he has started his own training as well.

Hinabi, as the younger sister to Hinata, would likely have received a seal if not for two reasons. First off, I suspect that that Hinata was not only weak, but also somewhat sickly as a young child. That's just kinda my output on it, but it would fit for a reasoning of why the Elders would be hesitant to put a seal on the younger of the two girls.

Secondly, it is mentioned, again on the wiki page, that you may have to be male in order to start a new branch family, which is entirely plausible seeing as the main house is depicted as fairly large, and not just Hiashi and his family and a couple of old farts.

At any rate, in my story, it is a bit of both reasons that lead to Hanabi not acquiring a cursed seal. I didn't necessarily want it to all be placed upon Hiashi, and I don't think that it would be very logical for it to be. A clan would have many inner workings that would be dependent upon a variety of variables.

At any rate, that is my take on the situation.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading and thanks to my two reviewers!<p> 


	7. Perseverance

Lee watched Hinata practiced her katas.

He was unusually quiet as he observed her training regime. He'd discovered her training spot the other day, further up the rivers that ran alongside the training grounds.

Lee wasn't just loud and boisterous, he was also observant, sometimes, when he choose to be.

Not observant in the traditional sense, he was, however, a taijustu master, just as his sensei was, and if there anything Gai-sensei had taught him, it was to recognize hard work for what it was.

He watched her then, practicing the moves, same as Neji always did. Her steps lighter than his, her movements more graceful.

He wasn't a genius, he wasn't even master yet, but he knew the basics of many different styles, even more than his sensei who was more of a, study one until you master it, kind of guy.

That wasn't to say he didn't study various forms and types, but he didn't look at them the same way Lee did.

He only had to see her practicing once to know something was off, that that form was not meant for someone like her.

Later he studied the way Neji moved within the limits of the Gentle Fist.

He knew Neji was a genius not because he memorized the exact movements and actions required of the style, but in his intuitive actions and combinations, his inventive nature and creative hold. He knew what the jyuuken was capable of, and acted both in the way it was instructed and in the way that was most suited for combat.

Forward, direct combat, Lee noticed. The opposite of that which Hinata practiced. While his was smooth in its transitions, Hinata moved with a grace and a level of flexibility that he lacked.

He asked Gai-sensei about making adjustments to an already made style, and used what he learned and what he already knew from his various fights with Neji to his advantage.

A week after his discovery he returned, this time as loud and exuberant as ever, his smile wide as he announced his presence with an excited "YOSH!"

Hinata wasn't a genius, but she was skilled, more skilled than people gave her credit for.

She was tired of being weak, and he knew that feeling all too well.

Neji may be a genius, but hard work was valued just as much as natural skill.


	8. Rivals

He'd never asked for an eternal rival.

He'd known Gai before he'd become Gai-sensei in his mind, had seen the man running laps around the village and training for hours on end. He'd hung around the academy from time to time.

He'd also known Lee, the boy with the braid and thick eyebrows that couldn't do ninjustu or genjustu. He'd been insecure when they were in the academy, but stubborn, incredibly so.

He'd been surprised when they were placed on a team together.

Honestly, he'd underestimated his teammate that day they had met.

Lee was weak, but, he was stubborn.

Now, they'd fought too many battles, he'd been surprised by him too many times, to do so again.

That wasn't to say he didn't agree with the boy on most things, He found his outfit too conspicuous, his attitude too boisterous, his voice too loud, and his whole demeanor flat out annoying.

But, he could work with him, and they looked out for each other, even in the beginning.

They weren't brothers, they weren't even that close, not really, but they did know what being a ninja meant for each other.

For the boy seeking freedom from his family, and later, the power to make his own destiny.

For the boy unable to do what most shinobi considered basic skills, who wished to fight for the home he loved.

Besides, he felt that Naruto better matched the criteria of an Eternal Rival.

Then again, when he looked at Gai and Kakashi, he had to wonder if it was just fate.

At any rate, it was annoying.


	9. Break

Gai was many things, Tenten decided, but he wasn't all knowing.

Hell, he wasn't even a good mediator.

So it turned into her job to know when Lee was feeling down, when Neji couldn't take any more "male bonding," and when even Gai-sensei needed a break from stress.

She had her systems for each situation as it arose, and as new situations arose so did her creativity.

She'd become quiet adapt at it by the time the chunin exams arose, and became only better at it still as they continued fighting together.

But every once in a while she had enough, and there was nothing that damn persistent man's begging or Lee's pleading could do about it.

She'd storm off in a huff, usually after leaving a nice, intricate design on their backs, usually with senbon, those were able to go in the furthest and cause the least amount of damage while making the most interesting designs.

She wasn't a vindictive person, but it was easier to deal with them with anger than with other emotions.

Other emotions involved breaking down or bitching to someone or being so utterly female that it was sickening.

She knew, _she knew_, how much effort it took to be a kunoichi, to make it in this world of men, but sometimes she'd watch them and it would strike her that she was remarkable unremarkable, and sometimes she'd get tired of them showing off their prowess.

Usually she wouldn't let it get to her. She was, after all, fairly accomplished for who she was, the daughter of a weapons maker, a weapons specialist herself with a penchant towards fuinjustu.

Not the flashiest of skillsets, but it got the job done.

So on the days where she did lose her composure, she really lost her composure.

The green beasts were easy enough to get off her back, threaten them, punch Lee a few times, and she was good.

Neji was another matter entirely.

Usually, he'd just give her a look. An understanding, sympathetic look, but most of the time that equaled out to him looking down at her, and she couldn't stand it!

She wasn't weak. She wasn't inferior to them!

She saw the way the men looked at her, how they always assumed that the women wouldn't make it!

She wasn't someone like Sakura that had a Sanin for a tutor, she wasn't like Ino and Hinata who at least had a fancy family technique or dojustu to help them out.

All she had was herself.

Wasn't that good enough?!

DAMN IT!

Her fist was stopped before it made contact and she swung her leg back only to have it blocked.

"DAMN IT NEJI!" she yelled going in for a fist to the face. "I don't need a freaking babysitter!"

But she did need a sparring partner.

Some girls cried, some girls threw a fit.

Some girls fought until they were too exhausted to do anything else.

Tears fell, snot dribbled, but Neji didn't say anything about it and she sure as hell didn't acknowledge it. He just kept fighting, and even at some point activated his byakugan.

By the time they were done the training ground was in ruins, and they both knew they were going to be in some seriously deep shit.

Tenten couldn't really care less though.

She wiped her face and threw an extra towel in Neji's direction.

"Yosh! That was just what I needed! Thanks Neji!"

Neji wasn't sure if it was worth the trouble to get Tenten out of her funks, but sometimes it couldn't be helped.

The others were going to have a heyday when they saw him though.

She smiled when her back was to him.

She really couldn't stand being weak. Being weak was for people who wouldn't try to be strong.

Turning back towards Neji, her grin widened.

Pincushion, definitely.


	10. Teammates

Kiba was in no rush to have his team over at his house.

He wasn't ashamed, but he didn't like the idea of them invading his space.

Especially that damn Shino.

So when Kurenai showed up at his place after skipping out on practice, the other two in tow, he knew he was screwed.

"Oi! Oi! You can't come in here!" he said, attempting to keep them out. His mom let out a bark of laughter.

"That's what you get punk! Skipping out of practice!" she hit him squarely atop the head grabbing him in a headlock. "I sent Kurenai a message. You're real idiot!"

It figured. He'd stayed home because Akamaru had hurt himself the day before while training with his mom. He couldn't gone without him, but he wasn't going to!

"Damn it mom!" he turned towards her, ready to throw a punch only to have it blocked and to be further thrown into the ground.

"Uh, Kiba-kun, are you okay?" that was Hinata.

"It appears that his family is just as brash as he is, why? Because his mother punched him into the ground." Definitely Shino.

"Eh shut up!" he glared at them, "And you!" he pointed his finger at Kurenai, "Why'd you have to come! Hinata missed practice last week and I don't see you showing up at her doorstep!"

"Show some respect!"

"WOOF!" the deep throaty bark of his moms partner accompanied it as he felt Kuromaru's fangs clamp over his arm.

"DAMNT IT KUROMARU! STOP BITING ME!"

Kurenai let loose a long suffering sigh, rolling her eyes skyward.

"If you have to know Hinata was worried about you and Akamaru," she said in answer, "Shino was curious as to where you lived."

"Well in that case why don't you come in," Tsume barked, her grin wide. "I'm sure we can scrounge up something to eat, you must be hungry. My sons an idiot but I think he'll survive," she glanced towards him, seeing that Kuromaru's teeth were still clamped over his arm she gave a toothy grin. "If I don't kill him first."

She slung her arm over Hinata's shoulders, giving Shino a glare, "If that one's anything like his dad you're going to have your work cut out for ya kid," she said as she led them inside, "between the pup's loudmouth yapping and this one's cryptic remarks, can't really ask for much in way of teamwork."

"Mom!"

"Oh shut up would ya? Damn! So useless!" she rolled her eyes, "Come on Kuromaru! There's better things to eat inside."

"Hmm. I was having fun," Kuromaru said before following her in.

"Damn it! They're both crazy!"

"Uh, Kiba-kun, are you okay?"

He paused, inhaling and biting his lip before turning and grinning.

"Yeah, sorry Hinata," he said looking away, "My mom's a little crazy."

Hinata smiled. "Uh, your mom, she told me to come get you," she hesitated. "Aka- Akamaru's going to be fine, right, Kiba-kun?"

He paused, smiling once again, "Yeah Hinata. He'll be fine."

She helped him up and followed him into the house.

"There you are pipsqueak! Hurry up! The foods getting cold!"


End file.
